Envelope



'March 23, 1937. w. E. SWIFT ENVELOPE Original Filed Nov. l5, 1935 ar.23, i937 Patented UNE t ENviiLorn Willard E. Swift, Worcester, Mass.,assignor to United States Envelope Company, Springheld, Mass., acorporation of ine Original application November 15, 1933, Serial No.698,169. Divide d and this application February 1, 1935, Serial No.4,553

1 Claim.

The present application is a division of my original application SerialNo. 698,169 iiled November 15, 1933 (now Patent No. 1,990,760 ofFebruary 12, 1935), for an Envelope. The present 5 invention relatesparticularly to an improved envelope of the type which does not requiremoistening of its seal flapin order to seal it, as is necessary Withordinary envelopes. y

In United States Letters Patent No. 1,768,836

issued July 1, 1930, -there is shown and described an envelope whichdoes not require moistening in order to seal it, this patented envelopebeing characterized by the fact that corresponding areas of its seal.flap and rear wall are coated 5 with an adhesive which does not requiremoistening, such as a rubber solution. Consequently, when the coatedarea of the flap is folded over into registering relation with thecoated wall area and pressure applied to the overlying areas, theenvelope is sealed. However, because of thetendency of the coated areasto adhere to each other, as when packing or otherwise handling theenvelope prior to sealing, it is necessary to provide separate means forpreventing inadvertent adhesion such as strips of paper between thecoated surfaces. as disclosed in the aforementioned patent, No.1,768,836, which procedure adds materially to the cost of manufacturingand marketing such envelopes.

According to the present invention, there is provided an envelope of theabove indicated character in which the coated areas are effectively fprevented from inadvertently coming into contact. prior to the actualsealing of the envelope,

thereby eleminating any special precautions in.

the packing thereof. The above and other advantageous features of theinvention will hereinafter more :fully appear from the followingdescription with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-d

Fig. 1 is a rear view oi an envelope with adv* -55 gin of theextendedvseal flap 3 and to a portion Fig. 2 illustrates folding of theenvelope of Fig. l

Like reference characters refer to like parts in of the rear wall 4spaced from the upper edge thereof. The coated areas are substantiallyequal and the adhesive 2 is so positioned on the rear wall 4 that whenthe seal flap 3 is folded down along the score line 5, the adhesive areal will register with said adhesive area 2.

K 'Ihe adhesive used for the coatings I and 2 is of such character thatsaid coatings, without moistening. will adhere to each other uponcontact, although neither coating, when dry, will adhere when broughtinto contact with any uncoated portion of the envelope material.Preferably the coatings I and 2 are applied in the form of a dispersedrubber solution, or as a natural or compounded latex, the invention alsocontemplating the use of other similar dry-sealing adhesives in the formof thermo-plastics, such as arclor resins or -galyptols, either alone orin combination with rubber.

In order to prevent premature adhesion between the coated areas beforeit is desired to use the envelope, the rear wall 4 provides beyond itscoated area 2 an extension or auxiliary flap 6 which is not adhered tothe side iiaps 1 in making the envelope, said flap 6 being foldablealong a score line 8to cover the coating 2. With the auxiliary ap 6folded over as shown in Fig. 2, itis possible to fold down the seal nap'3 in the usual manner, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2,

' so that theenvelope can be packed with others without any possibility`of the coated areas becoming inadvertently adhered to each other.

In Vusing the envelope, the seal ap 3 and the previously turned-downauxiliary ilap 6 are opened up as shown in Fig. 1 to expose the rearwall adhesive 2, and after the enclosure has been placed in theenvelope, the seal flap 3 is turned down over the opened-out ilap 6 tobring the adhesive I into complete registration with the adhesive 2. Thesealing oi the envelope is then completed by the mere application ofpressure to the overlying adhesive areas. From the foregoing, it isapparent that by the present invention there is provided an envelopewhich does not require any moistening in order to seal it, and which isso constructed that the coated areas which are adapted to adhere uponcontact are normally maintained out of engagement, thus permitting theenvelopes to be packed and handled in the usual manner.

In an envelope of the class described, a front wall and a rear wall, thefront wall having a closure' iiap foldable upon the rear wall, said saidrear wall adhesive area. to prevent contact therewith of thecomplemental adhesive area o the closure flap when the latter is foldeddown, said extension, when opened out to expose said rear wall adhesivearea. occupying the space between said area, and the fold line of saidclosure flap.

WILLARD E. SWIFI.

